In this episode of The Poetry of Reality, Richard Dawkins joins Brian Keating for an insightful conversation touching on evolution, genetics, science, and culture.
If we agree that our consciousness emerged through natural selection then if AI achieves consciousness could that not be considered as Richard argues a feature of an extended phenotype?
Here’s ChatGTP’s answer to the same question:
Yes, under a generous and philosophically expansive reading of Dawkins’ extended phenotype, a conscious AI created by humans could arguably be considered part of that extended phenotype — particularly as an expression of our cognitive design capacities evolved through natural selection. But this interpretation would push the boundaries of the original biological concept into a more speculative and philosophical realm.
I hope this doesn’t sound too cynical but money then must also be considered an extended phenotype as it seems to be a contributing factor in the AI arms race.
The concept that these engines hold an encoded model of reality which provides a continuously modulating prediction of its environment and its own processes, and uses sensory input to correct that mode continuously is so far away from the reality of what these models do, it’s like comparing a stool to an airplane.
Zero continuous generation of a model, zero error sampling of the model, very mold predictive construction.
If you could call writing letters about a war consciousness, well, it’s all done isn’t it.
Great interview there and super engaging.
If we agree that our consciousness emerged through natural selection then if AI achieves consciousness could that not be considered as Richard argues a feature of an extended phenotype?
Here’s ChatGTP’s answer to the same question:
Yes, under a generous and philosophically expansive reading of Dawkins’ extended phenotype, a conscious AI created by humans could arguably be considered part of that extended phenotype — particularly as an expression of our cognitive design capacities evolved through natural selection. But this interpretation would push the boundaries of the original biological concept into a more speculative and philosophical realm.
I hope this doesn’t sound too cynical but money then must also be considered an extended phenotype as it seems to be a contributing factor in the AI arms race.
Dennett already answered this question: "they are not conscious in any interesting way". But I'll check out the video!
Of course not
It's just brute force computing on an unimaginable scale
The concept that these engines hold an encoded model of reality which provides a continuously modulating prediction of its environment and its own processes, and uses sensory input to correct that mode continuously is so far away from the reality of what these models do, it’s like comparing a stool to an airplane.
Zero continuous generation of a model, zero error sampling of the model, very mold predictive construction.
If you could call writing letters about a war consciousness, well, it’s all done isn’t it.
I swear my screen just winked at me….